Chapter 327 : A Golden Core's Stolen Fortune

Watching him break through the Formation [a mystical array or barrier created through arcane arts], Eldrin Chen spoke with a hint of regret.

That Azure Life-Saving Pearl [a precious artifact that grants a desperate escape] is a Life-Saving Treasure [a rare artifact used for a last-ditch escape from mortal peril]. It can temporarily increase a cultivator's flight speed by tenfold and even ignore most Formation [mystical arrays or barriers created through arcane arts]. It can be said to be a first-rate item for preserving one's life.

With such an object to bear his calamity, Eldrin Chen understood he could not catch up and simply abandoned the thought of pursuit.

Halting his steps, he collected Old Ghost Deng's Storage Ring [a ring containing an extradimensional space for storing items] and several other treasures. A pleased expression surfaced on his face. The Storage Bag [a pouch containing an extradimensional space for storing items] of a Golden Core Late Stage [the advanced phase of the Golden Core cultivation stage] cultivator meant the gains from this battle were even greater than anticipated.

At that moment, Exquisite Jiang descended from the sky. Glancing at the storage ring, she said with a smile,

"Old Ghost Deng has now lost his physical body."

"Moreover, his remaining lifespan is short. He likely won't be able to stir up trouble in the future."

Eldrin Chen nodded. For a Golden Core Late Stage [the advanced phase of the Golden Core cultivation stage] cultivator to recast a physical body requires a full Sixty-Year Cycle [a complete cycle of sixty years].

Furthermore, it consumes an extremely precious Nirvana Pill [an elixir that facilitates rebirth or profound recovery] or requires the power of a Nirvana Pool [a mystical pool with restorative or rebirth properties] to achieve Rebirth [the divine ability to be reborn or restore one's form].

With Old Ghost Deng's Storage Ring [a ring containing an extradimensional space for storing items] now in their hands, he would likely lack cultivation resources in the future. Wanting to recast his body would naturally be an endeavor fraught with countless difficulties. Continue your cultivation journey at audio-novel . com.

His remaining lifespan was less than a century. If he were to seize a new body and restart his cultivation, a mere hundred years would at most allow him to reach the late Violet Sanctum Realm [the third major stage of cultivation, where one opens a mystical space within the dantian]. From that point on, he would no longer pose any significant threat.

Suppressing these thoughts, Eldrin Chen turned his gaze towards Savage Ox Demon King and the Deng Clan Elder.

"Let us act swiftly and end this battle decisively."

As their words fell, they commanded their flying swords and charged towards the Savage Ox Demon King and the Deng Clan Elder.

Their foes were merely at the early or middle Golden Core [the fourth major stage of cultivation, where one condenses a golden core of immense power] stage. Facing opponents that outnumbered them several times over, and under the combined assault of two powerful Patriarch [a title for a senior, powerful cultivator, often the head of a clan or sect], they found it impossible to defy fate. Before long, both had fallen amidst the onslaught.

With five of the six Golden Core Realm [the realm of Golden Core cultivators] enemies slain and one having fled, the great battle had drawn to its conclusion.

For the Chu Nation Cultivation World [the world of cultivators within the nation of Chu], this was a victory unseen for three centuries. They had slain three Demon King [a title for a powerful demonic cultivator or demon beast at the Golden Core level] and a traitor from within the Human Race [the collective of human cultivators and mortals], sweeping away the gloom that had lingered for centuries.

The group retrieved the Primordial Unity Heaven-Sealing Formation [a powerful formation designed to seal an area and suppress enemies], then began a relentless pursuit of the Demon Race [the collective of demonic cultivators and demon beasts] forces within Earth Lion Ridge.

The Demon Race forces were utterly routed, and the pursuit continued unabated for three full days and nights.

Eldrin Chen personally took action, seizing this rare opportunity to consecutively slay seventeen major demons at the Violet Sanctum Realm level. This allowed the sword spirit within his Thousand Demons Demon-Slaying Sword [a magical sword specialized in slaying demons] to devour a vast number of demonic souls.

In this battle, the Thousand Demons Demon-Slaying Sword [a magical sword that grows stronger by devouring demon souls] consumed a vast number of demonic souls, including even that of the Earth Lion Demon King [a powerful lion-like earth-attribute demon beast] which was at the Golden Core Late Stage [the peak of the third major cultivation realm].

According to Eldrin Chen's estimation, once the Thousand Demons Demon-Slaying Sword fully refines and absorbs these demon souls, it should advance to the Fourth Rank Superior Grade [the highest quality tier for fourth-rank artifacts].

Furthermore, even among Fourth Rank Superior Grade artifacts, this sword would rank among the very finest of Immortal Sword [a general term for powerful swords used by cultivators], solidifying its place as a lethal trump card in Eldrin Chen's arsenal.

Following the rout of the Demon Race [the collective term for demonic beings], the several Golden Core Patriarch [powerful cultivators who have formed a Golden Core, the third major cultivation realm] wore expressions of joy. They dispatched personnel to tally the spoils from Earth Lion Ridge [a mountain range ruled by earth lion demons] while they themselves proceeded into the Earth Essence Earth Vein [a concentrated underground flow of potent earth-attribute spiritual energy] located within the ridge.

The Earth Essence Earth Vein beneath Earth Lion Ridge was of the exceptionally high Fourth Rank Superior Grade. The treasures it could produce were enough to stir the hearts of even the most powerful Golden Core Immortal Clan [a clan whose foundation is built upon cultivators who have achieved the Golden Core realm].

Upon entering the depths of the Earth Vein [a general term for an underground spiritual energy channel], True Person Great Defense could not help but stroke his beard and remark, "This Earth Vein is truly extraordinary. I suspect it can likely give birth to an Earth Origin Treasure Pearl [a precious pearl condensed from the purest essence of earth] once every Sixty-Year Cycle [a complete cycle of sixty years, a significant unit of time in fate and cultivation]."

"After this victory, your Heavenly Ruins Alliance [an alliance of cultivator forces] will likely become the greatest power within the Chu Nation [a nation within the cultivation world]."

"Indeed."

Eldrin Chen also allowed a smile to grace his features. A vein capable of producing an Earth Origin Treasure Pearl every Sixty-Year Cycle explained why Earth Lion Ridge had managed to birth two Golden Core Demon King [demon beasts equivalent in power to Golden Core cultivators]—the Azure-Maned Lion King and the Golden Lion Mastiff—in the span of a mere century.

The group had not ventured far into the Earth Vein before they discovered the spiritual springhead, the very source of this Earth Essence Earth Vein.

Within that surging spring of Earth Elemental Energy [the foundational energy of the earth element], several incredibly precious Fourth-Rank treasures had actually been nurtured.

Xavier Xu looked up, unable to contain his excitement as he spoke.

"An Earth Origin Treasure Pearl, Primordial One Treasure Metal, Great Kun Mother Stone, Profound Earth Sinking Stone, and Celestial Star Jade."

He named each treasure in turn, every single one exceptionally rare and valuable.

Eldrin Chen also felt a surge of excitement. Among these treasures, there was only one Earth Origin Treasure Pearl capable of aiding a breakthrough to the Golden Core realm.

The other five pieces of Fourth-Rank Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures were: one piece of Primordial One Treasure Metal, one piece of Great Kun Mother Stone, one Profound Earth Sinking Stone, and those two pieces of Celestial Star Jade. This chapter is provided by www . audio-novel.com. Support the original.

Among these treasures, the Earth Origin Treasure Pearl was the most precious, its value starting at two million Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy].

The Primordial One Treasure Metal was a superior Fourth-Rank Treasure Metal with dual metal and earth attributes, typically valued around one point five million Spirit Stone.

The Great Kun Mother Stone was an earth-attribute gemstone imbued with the Primordial Mother-Earth Essence [the foundational, nurturing essence of the earth], making it equally as valuable as the Primordial One Treasure Metal.

The Profound Earth Sinking Stone was a Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures of immense weight, said to be as heavy as ten thousand mountains. If forged into a magical treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators], it could potentially sink an entire mountain range. Its value was estimated at seven to eight hundred thousand Spirit Stone.

The Celestial Star Emerald is a special type of fourth-rank treasure. This jade emits a brilliant stellar radiance akin to the Stellar [the celestial bodies and their energies], its starlight imbued with a peculiar spiritual nature capable of nourishing the vitality of Spirit Herb [plants imbued with spiritual energy] and elixirs.

If crafted into a Fourth-Rank Jade Vase, it can extend the preservation time of elixirs by three hundred years. Similarly, if fashioned into a jade box, it can prolong the vitality of spiritual plants for the same duration.

Exquisite Jiang collected these treasures and then arranged for personnel to begin cataloging the spoils from the Lion's Brow Ridge.

This task kept everyone busy for half a month before the cultivators finally finished tallying the battle spoils and meritorious service.

Thus, on this day, Eldrin Chen, Exquisite Jiang, Elara Lin, Xavier Xu, and several other Golden Core Patriarch [powerful cultivators at the Golden Core stage] gathered together with pleased expressions, ready to distribute the gains from this campaign.

Eldrin Chen and Exquisite Jiang sat at the head of the gathering, while Elara Lin, Xavier Xu, and the Old Patriarch sat to one side.

Xavier Xu glanced around the room and asked curiously, "Where is True Person Great Defense?"

"The Verdant Azure Mountains cannot be left unattended for long, so he has already returned," came the reply.

As if sensing his unspoken question, Exquisite Jiang added, "When I requested his aid, I promised that after refining the Golden Core Formation Pill [a precious pill that aids in forming a Golden Core], I would give him two as compensation."

"And not just him. We must also send one Golden Core Formation Pill each to the Purple Abyss Sect, which contained the Demonic Ape Ridge, and to the Lin Clan of Qi Nation, which held back the Azure Sparrow Demon King."

Xavier Xu nodded in understanding upon hearing this, finally realizing that Exquisite Jiang had long since made promises and arranged for the surrounding Demon King [a powerful demonic cultivator equivalent to the Golden Core realm] to be intercepted.

This was not the chaotic period of a Beast Tide [a massive, chaotic invasion by demonic beasts], where attacking the Demon Race [the collective term for demonic cultivators and beasts] could be done lightly. It was precisely because Exquisite Jiang had deployed multiple contingencies that they managed to isolate Earth Lion Ridge in this battle, leaving it with almost no support from the Demon Race.

Had it not been for the sudden arrival of the Deng Clan, Earth Lion Ridge would likely have been completely isolated and its defenders easily slain.

Fortunately, this battle was a great victory, yielding three Demon King Inner Pill [the condensed life essence and cultivation core of a Demon King]. Even after setting aside four Golden Core Formation Pill [a precious elixir that aids in forming a Golden Core], a significant surplus remained.

"Let us review the spoils of this battle,"

Eldrin Chen said with a faint smile, his gaze sweeping over the assembled group.

As his words faded, he produced a ledger and passed it to those present.

"This ledger details the battle's accounts. Please review it first."

"It contains the inventory of materials and records of military merit. We must also discuss the arrangements for the bereaved families' compensation." Read the full novel exclusively on audi0-n0vel.c0m.